to receive honors, and even insults, that we may be afraid. But with all this we are not attrac-
ted towards Him!
Moral. Let us then “glorify God,” and bear God1140 both “in our body and in our spirit.”
(1 Cor. vi. 20.) And how is one to glorify Him in the body? saith one, and how in the spirit?
The soul is here called the spirit to distinguish it from the body. But how may we glorify
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Him in the body and in the spirit? He glorifies Him in the body, who does not commit
adultery or fornication, who avoids gluttony and drunkenness, who does not affect a showy
exterior, who makes such provision for himself as is sufficient for health only: and so the
woman, who does not perfume nor paint her person, but is satisfied to be such as God made
her, and adds no device of her own. For why dost thou add thy own embellishments to the
work which God made? Is not His workmanship sufficient for thee? or dost thou endeavor
to add grace to it, as if forsooth thou wert the better artist?1141 It is not for thyself, but to
attract crowds of lovers, that thou thus adornest thy person, and insultest thy Creator. And
do not say, “What can I do? It is no wish of my own, but I must do it for my husband. I
cannot win his love except I consent to this.” God made thee beautiful, that He might be
admired even in thy beauty, and not that He might be insulted. Do not therefore make Him
so ill a return, but requite Him with modesty and chastity. God made thee beautiful, that
He might increase the trials of thy modesty. For it is much harder for one that is lovely to
be modest, than for one who has no such attractions, for which to be courted. Why does
the Scripture tell us, that “Joseph was a goodly person, and well favored” (Gen. xxxix. 6.),
but that we might the more admire his modesty coupled with beauty? Has God made thee
beautiful? Why dost thou make thyself otherwise? For as though one should overlay a golden
statue with a daubing of mire, so it is with those women that use paints. Thou besmearest
thyself with red and white earth! But the homely, you say, may fairly have recourse to this.
And why? To hide their ugliness? It is a vain attempt. For when was the natural appearance
improved upon by that which is studied and artificial? And why shouldest thou be troubled
at thy want of beauty, since it is no reproach? For hear the saying of the Wise Man, “Com-
mend not a man for his beauty, neither abhor a man for his outward appearance.” (Ecclus.
xi. 2.) Let God be rather admired, the best Artificer, and not man, who has no merit in being
made such as he is. What are the advantages, tell me, of beauty? None. It exposes its possessor
to greater trials, mishaps, perils, and suspicions. She that wants it escapes suspicion; she that
possesses it, except she practice a great and extraordinary reserve, incurs an evil report, and
what is worse than all, the suspicion of her husband, who takes less pleasure in beholding
1140 ἄρωμεν. St. Chrys. is almost the only Greek authority for the reading of the Vulgate, well known as the
Capitulum of the 9th hour, “glorificate et portate Deum in corpore vestro.” On the passage his reading so seems
not quite decided. See Scholz, and Hom. xviii. on 1 Cor. vi. 20.
1141 “God never made his work for man to mend.”—Dryden.
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1 Timothy 1:15,16